Schools across the borough are expanding to cope with an influx of new pupils, with one school having to teach students in temporary classrooms.

In the last two months planning documents have been submitted to allow four primary schools to build extensions.

One of the schools, Avenue Primary School in Belmont will be forced to teach youngsters in temporary classrooms for four years while the new buildings are erected.

At last night's Development Control Committee meeting, the most recent school expansion at Amy Johnson Primary School was up for discussion.

Susan Smith, of the Sutton Teachers Association, said although teaching pupils in temporary classrooms was not ideal, the council's hands were tied.

She said: "We are not happy about it, but we understand the council is under pressure. We have seen an unprecedented boom in demand for primary school places across the country, not just in Sutton.

But Sutton is a desirable place to live and it's schools are among the best in the country."

Applications have been submitted to also extend Cheam Common Infants School in Worcester Park, St Mary's Infants School in Carshalton and Amy Johnson Primary School in Wallington.

Just days before a new school year begins, schools have experienced an unprecedented demand for places.

At the start of this year Sutton chief executive Niall Bolger was criticised after he sent a letter to chief executives of other London councils encouraging them to back plans to increase classroom sizes.

The letter from Niall Bolger to council bosses across the capital asked them support proposals to increase the class size upper ceiling from 30 pupils per class to 32.

A spokesman for Sutton Council said: "We know there will be continuing need for additional primary school places in Sutton, so we have a major building programme underway. Where this temporary accommodation is required, it is only used for as short a period as possible, until either the permanent new buildings are completed or until the short term demand for places returns to anticipated levels."

London Councils warned this week the shortfall of primary and secondary school places across the capital is set to rise faster than expected, to around 90,000 by 2016.